Levers & Journeys
by Loopy777
Summary: Long Feng recruits a healer from the rural Earth Kingdom for his last trip to Ba Sing Se, but she may be more important to his journey than he realizes. LJ Crackpairing Exchange entry. Romantically philosophical.
1. Act I

**Act I**

The healing house was always brightly lit. Open windows permitted both the sun and the warm spring air to enter freely, and there were no walls inside the building. Curtains could provide privacy at need, but they were still thin enough to allow plenty of light. While it was important for healers to be able to see their charges clearly, the atmosphere itself was also an important part of recuperation. Qi flows could be influenced by even the most incidental details.

The man who came in this day wore a black robe, and moved like a shadow hiding from the sun.

Gochida was busy giving old woman Apahada her weekly treatment, and Gwanriin was in the middle of mixing a big batch of medicated clay, so the only other healer around took the initiative and led the stranger to an empty table. "My name is Song," she said. "How can I help you today?"

The stranger just stared at her for a moment, his gaze cold and analyzing. Despite the threadbare nature of his robe, the man himself had a polished look. His mustache and chin-beard were precisely groomed, while his hair was pulled tightly behind his head and tied in a long queue. When he spoke, his voice was low and threatening in tone.

Song liked him already.

"My left leg is giving me trouble," he said smoothly. "I have been doing quite a bit of traveling lately, and I began developing pain in the calf and ankle several days ago. It hurts when I press on it, and has been getting noticeably stiffer. I think it has also begun to swell. I do not place undue attention on a little pain, but I have a long journey, yet."

Song nodded, a little surprised at the level of detail. Most travelers weren't so analytical. "I recognize the symptoms, but I'd better take a look, just to be sure."

The man didn't move.

Song gave him an encouraging smile. "You'll have to lift your robe."

The man pointedly swept his gaze over the single-room hospital. "I am _not_ disrobing."

"Here," she said smoothly, "I'll hang a curtain. I need to see the leg for the treatment, anyway. Acupuncture will relieve the pain and get you on the path to healing." Song kept her back turned, redundantly adjusting the curtain while the man settled his robes. When she turned, he was displaying the offending leg. "Ah, yes." She gently probed the skin and muscle, nodding. "The muscle is damaged, maybe the bone as well, probably an old injury of some kind, and putting too much strain on it exacerbates the condition. How did you injure it in the first place?"

The man's face turned red. "I was… well, there was an accident with a large animal. It bit me. Blunt teeth, fortunately."

"And you never got it treated?"

"My lifestyle after that was not very active. It hurt sometimes, but I never put this degree of stress on it, before."

Song nodded. This region became quite chaotic in the last days of the war, and many people who otherwise led peaceful lives found themselves embroiled in events beyond their ability to handle. "What is your name?" she asked as she retrieved her acupuncture needles.

"I… hm, I suppose I must start sooner or later. I am Long Feng."

The name rang no bells for Song.

* * *

He got a dinner invitation, of course. Even the loss of their ostrich horse to thieves that time didn't discourage the practice. Ever since Father was _taken_, Song had developed an irregular practice of bringing needy patients home for dinner. Mother always made enough for a few guests, and it helped both the givers and receivers in ways that went beyond just enjoying a meal together. As a Healer, Song had quickly learned that sharing her few gifts helped make her feel better about everything she had lost. When those two thieves, so tragic, had taken the family's ostrich horse in the night, Song had reacted by redoubling her personal outreach practices.

Long Feng accepted, graciously, but with no real thanks in his eyes. Song began to wonder if he would be another one of her mistakes.

Some of her guests ate voraciously; some ate sparingly as though wary of a trap. Long Feng ate _precisely_. He sat straight throughout the whole meal, eating with delicate motions that made the use of chopsticks into a kind of show. He did not speak until after he was finished, bowl placed back directly in front of him, chopsticks resting next to it in a perfectly parallel pairing. "Thank you for the meal. I wonder if it would be appropriate for me to make a business proposition to you?"

Song and Mother both gave him their polite attention.

Long Feng produced a silver piece from his sleeve, and placed it in the center of the table. Song gasped. It wasn't a common coin, it was _real silver_, the pure stuff that didn't need to be shaped into the standardized currency. It shined like nothing she had ever seen before, even in the pale light of the household lanterns.

Long Feng grinned, but not in a friendly way. It was the first rough demeanor he had worn since Song met him. "I am traveling to Ba Sing Se, and you could say that I'm on something of a schedule. I need to reach the city before the Great Abdication, and I need to arrive in a healthy state, as I expect my business there to be quite physically and mentally strenuous. It occurs to me that a privately contracted nurse would be able to guarantee my conditions."

Song and Mother exchanged glances, and then Mother said, "Well, sir, you're obviously very sophisticated. I'm sure you know the kind of worries I have about the idea."

Long Feng nodded. "Of course. I could give you my word assuring your daughter's safety, of course, but I could also be a liar. That's why I'm giving you this, tonight." He took a pouch out of his sleeve, and dropped it on the table beside the single silver piece. More ingots, just as polished and pure, spilled out. "This is enough silver to hire a top-tier bounty hunter to find and kill me. You have my name. You see that I'm a distinctive man. If your daughter is not returned by season's end, you can use that to have me found and killed. It will be small comfort, of course, if your daughter is lost to you, but I give it so that you understand my sincerity. I certainly don't intend to bring a hired avenger down on my plans. Of course, once your daughter has returned safely, you can keep the silver as an outrageous and happily paid fee."

Mother looked back at Song. Once again, they shared an understanding. "I will go," Song said to their guest, "if you agree to follow my advice. You need to get to Ba Sing Se, quickly, and I will help you do that. You have to trust me, and my knowledge of healing. If you do not listen to me, you will have to suffer the consequences. I won't tolerate abuse, either."

Long Feng gave a small bow. "I will be a perfect gentleman, at least by Ba Sing Se's standards."

* * *

At Song's insistence, Long Feng spent the next day resting his leg while she procured supplies for their journey. She brought up the idea of getting a pair of ostrich horses, if he had silver to spare and wanted a quick trip, but he admitted that he didn't know how to ride. Song considered that quite odd, as she thought all Gentlemen learned that skill, never mind how many people were taught by the army. Was Ba Sing Se so different, or just Long Feng?

They left the next day on foot. Song had traded her hanbok for more practical leggings and tunics, but she elected to still dress in her village's colors. Most of the Earth Kingdom stayed with greens, but in this area, whites and brighter colors also knew some popularity. It probably came from the village's proximity to the Captured Territories. Oh, they were called the Colonies, now, even in the Earth Kingdom.

Long Feng had already planned out their route. They would travel on the southern edge of the Bandao Peninsula, where the land was flat and mostly given over to farmland. There were plenty of roads in that area, as it was a popular route for travelers who wished to avoid the Great Divide, but Long Feng had specifically chosen courses that would miss certain popular waypoints. "Why is that?" she asked as they walked, early in the journey.

"I keep track of my old associates, as much as is possible, but that doesn't mean I desire their company," was all he said.

They kept up a good pace for several days before they had to stop for another treatment. Long Feng sat under a tall, solitary tree while Song inserted the needles. "What kind of work did you do in Ba Sing Se?"

He grimaced, perhaps because of the needles, although they never bothered him before. "I was an administrator, a government functionary. I consider it a fact that I was among the best the city had ever known. Ba Sing Se would not _exist_ today if it weren't for my efforts."

"Oh, so you were high-ranking? Did you know the King?"

He just scowled for a long time. When the treatment was finished, and they were making camp for the night, Long Feng said just one more thing. "My memories are unimportant, but I will make sure that History speaks the truth."

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	2. Act 2

**Levers and Journeys, Act II**

They didn't encounter bandits until the Dut Province. All six were former soldiers, but only one was unarmed and barefoot. Song was especially scared because none of the men put any effort into appearing fearsome; they all had a resigned weariness to them, going about the robbery like underpaid servants. The group had come out of the forest surrounding the road, and the leader pointed his yinyuedao bladed staff at the pair of travelers. "Put your packs on the ground, empty your pockets. Let's not make this any worse than it has to be."

Song did as told. Long Feng took off his own backpack, but otherwise stayed still and tense. Song knew for a fact that he had more silver somewhere on his person.

"Eh, what about the girl?" one of the thieves yawned. "She's young, looks healthy."

The leader sighed and stared at her before nodding. "Aye, she's healthy. We'll take her."

Song started stepping backwards, getting ready to run.

"Hey now," the leader said, "don't make us have to get nasty. You come peacefully, we'll make sure we sell you someplace where they'll treat you okay. Some Warlords, they're just looking for vassals for their lands. Probably no worse than where you come from."

Song very much doubted his promise. She turned and broke into a dash for the forest, and heard footsteps closing in on her before she was even halfway across the road.

Then the Earth exploded.

It wasn't the chaos that Song had always associated with Earthbending. A wall rose up between her and the robbers, drawing a straight line that marked the border of the new battlefield. The Earthbender bandit shifted to face his attacker, only for the ground behind him to burst into a blunt protrusion that connected with the back of his head with a sickening thunk of a sound. The others brought their weapons to bear, but it was a one-sided fight. Long Feng had the range on them, shooting out small, fist-sized rocks with a series of strong punching motions, precisely targeting vital spots on their bodies. He barely had to move, leaving his place only to build up momentum for a particularly strong attack.

Then it was finished, not even a stray speck of dust was left in the air.

Long Feng took a finishing stance and settled his Qi, lowering the wall that protected Song in the process. "We need to move on, quickly," he said.

Song made to move towards the bandit Earthbender. "We can't leave them out here, injured. They won't be able-"

"None of them can be saved now," Long Feng interrupted. "Even a Waterbender couldn't heal them."

Song stopped, and nodded. She had seen how each man had been struck. "I know."

She let him lead her away.

* * *

That night, he needed more acupuncture. Song worked on him in silence, but it wasn't long before he spoke up. "I'm sure you have questions. Can we get that over with? I spent a lot of time both facilitating and blocking the flow of information, and I already know where this is going."

"Do you?"

"Of course. As a healer, you're appalled."

Song placed the last needle, and sat back on the ground. "That's all I am, a healer?"

Long Feng merely raised an eyebrow.

"I was once a refugee," Song said. "My family owned a farm, and the Fire Nation came. They took my father away. There was… fighting." She lifted her pants' legging on the right side, revealing scarred skin underneath. "Believe me, I don't condemn anyone's right to defend herself."

"I killed all those men."

"Was that not called for by the style?"

Long Feng just looked at her, as though looking for signs of a joke. "Who are you, exactly?"

She looked down, and began removing the needles from her patient's leg. "I am Song. I am a person beyond what my job calls for. I know healing, but I've seen people fight. I've seen Earthbenders, when they came to protect my people. Can't a healer watch fighters train, and see how they move? You moved differently, harnessed your Qi in a different way. You struck to kill, but that was how you trained, I can tell." She finally looked up to meet Long Feng's eyes. "I was scared to see how far beyond your job you are as a person. How does an administrator come to learn how to kill?"

He waited until the needles were put away and his robes once more in place. "I administered the Dai Li. We protected the city's culture from anything that threatened it."

Song did not relinquish his gaze. "Culture."

"Yes. The city guard protected the people and upheld the laws, while the army protected the land itself." Long Feng sat up straighter here, his eyes losing their challenging edge. "But _we_ protected the city, the way of life. The army would consume everything it had to stay on its feet, without thought for what would be left behind. The guard was too small in vision to even keep the peace. The Dai Li were everything we had to be, fierce and secret, and our actions ensured that the city lived on, undiminished, overcoming civil unrest. Overcoming famine, plague, and even the will of the Spirits. We even overcame the war for one hundred years. For that, we needed to be more efficient than other Earthbenders. More direct." He snorted, and waved a hand towards his nurse. "More lethal, if you wish to see it in those terms."

"And now the war is over."

He nodded. "The obvious one is, yes."

* * *

They stopped at the next waypoint, little more than an inn surrounded by various shops. Long Feng took time to rest, but he spent the duration in his rented room, writing out a stack of letters that he sent ahead to Ba Sing Se. Song supposed he was contacting allies, and couldn't help but wonder if they still considered themselves as such.

The land ahead would be drier and rockier, and while Long Feng would be able to make good time if he used his Earthbending, he strictly mandated that he would have to be in fighting condition when he arrived at the city. So he and Song waited several days, and found a caravan that would sell them passage in one of the carts.

With nothing but each other and heavy sacks of lotus seeds for company, Long Feng and Song talked. The healer had thought that things would be awkward between the two of them, after the encounter with the bandits, but for some reason, they weren't. She worried that Long Feng would become defensive, but perhaps her lack of judgment had the desired effect. Song had to wonder about her own lack of ill will, too. She was traveling with- taking care of- a killer. What kind of a person was she that she wasn't disgusted? Was she one of those silly girls who needed to heal or make excuses for 'bad' boys?

Certainly, it didn't feel that way. She just wanted to get Long Feng to the end of his journey, whatever that turned out to be. "What do you plan to do, once you get to Ba Sing Se?" she asked one day.

He appeared to be meditating, but she knew better by now. He liked to sit that way, eyes closed, while he made his plans, but he was still sensitive to his surroundings. He always responded to her. "I will do my duty, of course. I told you of my service to the city."

"But you were so vague," she sighed. "And you specifically want to be there before the Great Abdication. How does that reflect the culture of Ba Sing Se?"

A small smirk tugged at his otherwise blank face. "Tell me what you think. I would genuinely like to hear your thoughts on the situation."

Song considered that. The Earth King had been found near the beginning of the spring, but along with the news came his announcement that he would be relinquishing his power. Song wasn't quite sure what would take his place, but she knew that the Avatar was involved, and that the new government was supposed to be more considerate of the Earth Kingdom as a whole, and more focused on all levels of society. No doubt the Gentlemen and Gentlewomen wouldn't like the sound of that, but perhaps the rumors Song had heard were merely wishful tales conjured by a hopeful peasantry.

But the Avatar had managed to end the war, and save the Earth Kingdom.

"What was he like?" she found herself wondering aloud. "The Earth King, I mean?"

Long Feng sighed and abandoned his meditative pose. "To be honest, he was a very nice, polite fool."

Song giggled at that. The thought was so… well, blasphemous… that she couldn't help but find it silly.

Long Feng nodded. "Oh, it's true. He was very learned, very regal, but he spent his entire life in his palace, and knew only what the Dai Li told him. He was older than you when he found out that we were at war."

Song blinked. That sounded even more ridiculous, well past the point of being funny.

Long Feng turned to stare out the open back end of the cart. The road passed slowly into the distance. "To be honest, that was my doing. The previous King hadn't responded well to Fire Lord Azulon's campaigns, panicking and wasting resources. If he had focused on a long-term defense, that would be one thing. Even if he had chosen to support the rest of the Kingdom in the fighting, that would have at least been a clear mission. But that King believed himself a military mastermind, and thought he could meet any of the Fire Nation's generals in warfare and win peace for Ba Sing Se. He jumped at every troop movement, had our own forces running in circles, and didn't seem to understand the concept of the Walls at all. He was assassinated by his own council of generals, you know."

Song had, in fact, not known that at all. "So you hid everything from his son?"

"Oh, it wasn't just because of that. The fifty-first Earth King was merely the example that I personally witnessed, but Ba Sing Se's history is filled with unwise rulers. One even tried to challenge Avatar Kyoshi while in the middle of a popular uprising. The Earth Kings are sacred symbols, the center from which Ba Sing Se's culture flows, without whom thousands of years of development would collapse, but the day to day decisions belong to people with more… real-world experience."

Song leaned forward. "And that was _you_? _You_ ruled Ba Sing Se?"

Long Feng hesitated, and then nodded.

"And now you're traveling around by yourself?" she gasped. It seemed ridiculous that someone who sat at the height of civilization would wander into her clinic with a hurt leg (from an animal bite, no less).

Long Feng just glared at her. "I'm not one of _them_. I grew up poor, in Ba Sing Se's Lower Ring. I joined the Dai Li at the lowest ranks, and worked my way up to lead the organization. That's why I understand what needs to be done. Haven't you ever looked at all the suffering, all the inefficiency around you, and knew you could create something better, if only you had the power instead of the fools who supposedly deserve it more?"

Song thought about that. She really did. She didn't want to represent herself as something she wasn't. Song knew she was far from perfect, that she had her own moments when she wanted to push back at life. In the end, though, after a minute of tapping her pursed lips, she could only shrug. "Not really. When I saw all the people who needed help, I just did my best for them. I can only hope I wasn't a fool myself with most of them."

He stared at her, his eyes locked onto her own. "Yes," he said, finally, "I believe you." With a sigh, he went back to his meditations, but before he closed his eyes again, he had one last thing to explain. "However much of a fool I might have been, I'm certain everything I did was for the greater good."

"That's always the way," Song whispered.

* * *

Late in the journey, they came to the city of Huaqiao. It was the last city before the wastelands surrounding Ba Sing Se, and Song was surprised that Long Feng didn't avoid it. On the contrary, he made straight for the governor's palace. "You aren't worried that he might betray you?" Song asked as they approached the mansion.

Long Feng smiled confidently at her. "Worried? No. I considered it, of course, when I first made his acquaintance. I have enough leverage now that he wouldn't dare. There are certain wartime activities that even the Avatar would not be quick to forgive, and I have proof of them. Besides, if he were going to turn me in for the reward, he would have done it during my first visit here. Instead he helped smuggle me away."

They stopped at the gate. Song looked up at the garish edifice, and then back to her charge. "And what is it we're seeking now?"

Long Feng's smile lost its usual predatory edge, but seemed genuine nonetheless. "For now, just a place to stay while I verify the latest rumors, and send one more round of correspondence. Also, a little something else. Meet me at sundown at that plaza," he said, pointing. Before Song could respond, he passed through the gates of the mansion, undisturbed by the guards.

Song spent the day looking around. She had her own money, but didn't see much that she was actually willing to buy. It was enough to simply see, to enjoy the spectacle of a true city. It wasn't Song's first taste of civilization, as she and Mother had traveled around a bit after they lost Father, but it was the first time she had visited a city since the war ended. Somehow, she had expected that the people would seem happier.

At sundown, she was waiting obediently in the plaza. Long Feng arrived right on time, trailed by a pair of elegantly suited servants. He bowed when he reached her. "Good evening. Rooms have been prepared for us at the best hotel in the city. I've had a wardrobe provided for your use, and tonight we'll be dining someplace rather exclusive."

Oh.

So that's how it was going to be.

The outfits were all silk. The restaurant had more servants on hand than it had items on the menu, and the menu was _quite _extensive. It was all more impressive than Song had even dared to imagine of the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. Long Feng, though, seemed to take delight in promising that the Impenetrable City would be even more cultured. "Huaqiao has ever aspired to emulate Ba Sing Se, but it has the misfortune of being on the main path to the Southern Quadrant. Over the years it came to take on aspects of the other various Earth Kingdom cities, and in recent time was even corrupted by influence from the Fire Nation colonies."

Song nodded politely. The food was quite good, although Song didn't recognize the meat at all.

"Of course," Long Feng continued, "even Ba Sing Se has fallen into incompetent hands. When I'm in charge again, I expect I'll have to make special measures to purify certain aspects of the city. The Lower Ring, of course, has always been a mess, but the Inner Walls should make the other two rings salvageable."

Finally, Song had reached the point where enough was enough. "And since when did our arrangement include your taking me to the Upper Ring?"

Long Feng's eyes narrowed. "I see. I suppose I simply assumed that, having come all this way, you might be interested in visiting the capital of your nation."

"That was my intention, yes." Song leaned forward, and made sure that she looked upon her dinner mate with kind eyes. "But I truly want to know when you began including me in your plans, and what that means?"

He sat back, gazing at her with an analytical air. "So what are your objections, exactly?"

"I may be more than a healer, but it's still a large part of me," she said with a soft smile. "The life you're heading towards would hurt me too much."

"One could say that my own work is an act of healing."

She shook her head gently. "Healing cannot take place without the patient's permission."

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	3. Act 3

**Levers and Journeys, Act III**

They came into Ba Sing Se via the ferries on Full Moon Bay. The governor of Huaqiao had provided Long Feng with a passport that bore the name of another, and also official documentation for Song. Even though the clerk at the entrance to the Bay accepted the paperwork without complaint, Long Feng still surreptitiously slid her coins. Seeing Song's questioning expression, he later said, "Accommodations on the ferries can… vary. I ensured we would be comfortable."

They were indeed given private rooms, while everyone else made camp on the deck. Long Feng said that the ferries were even more crowded during the war, to the point where food could barely be provided, and double the amount of boats were maintained in service to carry all the incoming refugees.

They arrived in the Lower Ring three days later.

At this point, Song's contract had technically been completed. The Great Abdication was a week away, and Long Feng was healthier than ever. (He had gotten over his seasickness before the first day of the voyage was complete.) However, the former Dai Li put a hand on her arm when they disembarked from their train in the Western Wall Station. "I'd like you to say with me, at least for the next week. I'll give you more silver, and continue to provide for you."

Song didn't shake away his hand, but her voice was cool when she replied, "Your leg will be fine, provided you do nothing to strain it, and the only thing I can think of that would be so hard on it is Earthbending. I don't want to see you fight again."

"One week," he repeated. "I won't need your care. Just stay, see the city. Once the Great Abdication has passed, you can leave, if you wish. I'll even arrange transportation for you."

As wary as she was of Long Feng's attentions by now, Song still found herself hesitating to forsake him. Besides, she really did want to see Ba Sing Se, as long as she was here. She wasn't necessarily committed to staying in her village until the day she died, but who knew when she might ever get this opportunity again? "All right," she said. "One week, but you don't have to pay me extra."

He smiled darkly. "In a week, one way or another, I won't care at all about the silver. You may as well take it."

* * *

The days passed quickly for Song, but she expected the opposite was true for Long Feng.

He somehow obtained paperwork for her that let her travel freely between the Lower and Middle Rings. The Upper was still closed to her, though, guarded even from her sight by tall walls. Song preferred the look of the Middle Ring, but the Lower wasn't so bad. The pair was staying in a three-room apartment, and even Long Feng's corrupt contacts apparently couldn't find them something that was entirely clean. Still, Song had dealt with blood and infected flesh, so a little dust didn't scare her, and she knew of herbs that would keep the common parasite insects away. The neighborhood looked a little rough, but the population was balanced. For every thug, there were ten good people struggling to get by with honesty and dignity. Song's quiet but outgoing personality served her well, and soon a number of the better residents had become protective of the young woman who came "to witness history be made."

The Great Abdication had drawn many tourists, even amongst the poorest peasantry. Hope filled even the Lower Ring, and many people had, with not even a copper piece to their name, traveled across the Earth Kingdom to catch a glimpse of the Earth King who was giving up his power, and the Avatar who had saved the world from war.

As the week wore on, Long Feng seemed to slowly lose his own hope. He wrote more letters, and went out to meetings with people he wouldn't name. One time, he came back disheveled and trying not to put weight on his injured leg, but he said nothing as he made his way to his sleeping mat. Keeping to their agreement, Song did not offer to do another acupuncture treatment, although she did get a bucket of cool water and rag for him.

He did thank her for that much.

A few days later, on the eve of the Great Abdication, Song came back to the apartment just as the evening was falling, She set down a basket at the table in the common room, and the smell of fried foods quickly filled the small space. Long Feng was kneeling at the far end of the room, gazing out at the darkening city.

He wound up speaking first. "Will you be staying for the Abdication tomorrow, or leaving before the crowds?"

Song couldn't help but wonder what issue he was dancing around, but decided to humor him for now. "I wouldn't mind trying to catch a glimpse of things. They say the Avatar is younger than me."

"He is." Long Feng still didn't turn to face her. "It might be best for you if you at least find somewhere else to stay tonight."

Song stopped unloading the food basket. "Are you telling me that we're in danger?" she said, trying to keep her voice even. She hadn't expected that, although she probably should have been worried. Long Feng had been sending letters all week, giving them to local boys and girls to deliver for copper pieces. He left the apartment a few times, but he came and went like a shadow, always without noise. Could he have led someone back here?

The Earthbender finally turned to face her. "It's possible."

She waited for him to say something else, but it was futile. "And what about you?"

Long Feng actually smiled, before he spoke. It was a small one, and hard in what could have been a cruel way. "Would it be worth the effort? At this point, my silver will do nothing but lead my enemies to me. All the levers I thought within my grasp are really traps. My enemies have all the power, and they set up a web to ensnare me." He turned to look out the window again, speaking into the night, "They might even be closing the gates to me right now. My kingdom will be my grave."

Song nodded. "I understand," she whispered, walking over to him. Laying her hands on his shoulders, she waited until he met her gaze, and said, "Now, I brought food. Eat it before it gets cold. Tomorrow we'll leave during all the ceremonies. After dinner, I'll go out and see how much of your silver I can turn into coins."

He could only stare at her, shock visible on what portion of his face wasn't obscured by the twilight shadows. "How is it that you keep surprising me?"

"I don't know," she said, going back to the table. "I've always thought of myself as a fairly uncomplicated person."

* * *

No one came for them in the night, as Song expected. When she pointed this out to Long Feng, as they quickly packed their things the next morning, the Earthbender looked unimpressed. "Just another sign that I should be in charge here. How can they enforce their rule without lurking in the night like monsters? Criminals and wreckers will get complacent!"

"Is that a bad thing?" she countered. That seemed to win the argument for Song. At least, Long Feng let it go.

Everyone in the city was heading inward, hoping to be granted access to the other two rings, perhaps close enough to catch a glimpse of the Earth King as he was presented with the unsigned Articles of Abdication by the Avatar. It was difficult to make their way against the flow of the crowds, and Song was sure she'd have to give Long Feng's leg another treatment that night, but they eventually reached the Western Wall Train Station. The train would take them to the Outer Wall, and from there they would be free to go wherever they wanted.

Song planned on going home.

As they waited in the station, Song in her traveling clothes and Long Feng in a hooded cloak, the healer looked over to her companion and spoke. "So what now, for you? Is this your final defeat?"

The Earthbender sighed, looked back at the sprawl of the city, and said, "Maybe not. Perhaps in a few years, the Avatar and his council will fall out of favor, and Ba Sing Se will be ready for someone of my vision. I just have to stay alive."

Song felt like sighing herself, but held it back. One slip up could ruin the whole thing. "And would that be for the city, or for you?"

He turned his gaze on her.

Song looked Long Feng in the eye, and continued. "My father was taken from me, and my childhood home destroyed. I was hurt. Now, the war is over. I could search for my father, try to recreate my home, even look for healing that I know doesn't exist. Instead, I just help as many people as I can, and live my life as well as I can."

Long Feng snorted. "So your strategy," he drawled, "is to just give up? You want me to forget all my dreams?"

"Of course not. I haven't given up anything. I have Mother. I work every day to do good where I know I can make a difference for people who need it. I think that's what you want to do, or started wanting to do, but you've lost your way. You can't force healing on someone who doesn't want it, and not all healing comes from a healer. Life is not just a series of levers for us to work. It's the land and people around us. It's you and me. It's the mixing of all our work."

Long Feng turned his gaze away from the city. "And what's my place in this 'harmony' you see around you?"

Here, she smiled. "There's room in my village. Mother and I can lend you space while you find somewhere to live. A skilled Earthbender can always find work. And you have a friend."

"A friend?"

"Well," Song said, finally looking away, "maybe more. I… like doing good in your life more than in others."

They sat there, waiting for the train that would take them beyond the walls. It was a beautiful day, and no doubt the sun was shining on the Avatar and the former Earth King as they made history.

Long Feng moved, and took Song's hand in his own.

Their journey home was about to begin.

**END**


End file.
